ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan is pressing for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah on Monday questioned why the previous government of PTI handpicked Sikandar Sultan Raja if he was not “fit enough” to head the top electoral body.
Speaking in the National Assembly, the PPP leader said that it was the PTI government which had appointed the CEC and what makes them blame him now when they had approved his appointment some years ago.
“The world knows that it was the PTI which appointed the CEC and the opposition parties in the parliament had then accepted it just for the sake of understanding,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Raja Riaz, the PTI dissident who has been bestowed with the coveted slot of opposition leader in the National Assembly by the government, said that he is ready to step down if Imran Khan and his MNAs come back to the house.
At the same time, he said that the PTI chief should be held responsible for his party’s foreign funding or prohibited funding case, adding that things should be made clear what was the place and source of the party’s foreign funding.
He also criticized the PTI for challenging the acceptance of its resignation of its 11 MNAs by the NA Speaker in courts, saying the ECP de-notified the members but the party challenged it in the court.
On the other hand, the PTI takes the plea that its members’ resignation had already been accepted by the then acting NA Speaker Qasim Suri, but the incumbent regime is intentionally lingering on the matter, leaving them with no option but to approach the court for remedy.
Meanwhile, state minister for energy Musadik Malik informed the house that total consumption of “6f” petroleum products in the country during FY2021-22 was approximately 23.4 million tons.
“The consumption of petrol and diesel being the two major products was approximately 9 million tons each.”
The house was also informed that electricity service cables from pole to meter in most of the urban areas are in good working conditions to limit the theft and losses within permissible limits.
Responding to a question during the question hour, the parliamentary secretary for energy, Rana Iradat, said that independent cables are installed to each individual connection.
He said in some cases problems are there in remote and rural areas where service to service connections are installed, adding aerial bundled cables are now being installed in theft-prone areas to counter direct hooking as well as for ensuring safety.
He said that in narrow streets where cables cannot be secured properly, four-core cables are being installed after the removal of individual cables, adding the power distribution companies are focusing to properly secure and improve the distribution system cables.
To a question, he said the cost of free supply of electricity to employees is borne by concerned power distribution companies.
Replying to a question, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said that 2,390 Pakistani prisoners were released or deported from Saudi jails in the last three years while another 426 were released from the United States in the same period.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022